Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Ian Gourlay on May 29, 2006, 09:09:40 am

Title: Foam in Motor
Post by: Ian Gourlay on May 29, 2006, 09:09:40 am
For some strange reason after a short  while cleaning I foamed up.

My Cleaning powder has anti foam  as part of its USPs


Anyway   my motor  died.


and blew trips  etc.



The Motor   seams ok now but do you think I have  done  lasting damage
Title: Re: Foam in Motor
Post by: Steve Chapman on May 29, 2006, 10:45:21 am
Almost definitely :'(
I've had this happen a couple of times and although the motors will go on for a while it will shorten there lifespan drastically.

The motors are designed to draw air through so if the suck foam it has a different composition and will make the motor work harder and not forgetting the moisture deposits as well :o

It's probably the single worse thing you do to a vac motor :(
regards
steve
Title: Re: Foam in Motor
Post by: Dave_Lee on May 29, 2006, 05:29:30 pm
Ian,
Were you using UM. Since they altered it, I think its lost a lot of its anti foam property. It doesnt scum up as much does it, which is a benefit, however I think that scum was probably silcone, which is used as a de-foamer.
Dave.
Title: Re: Foam in Motor
Post by: Ian Gourlay on May 29, 2006, 06:07:51 pm
Dave

You got it     Although I have had a little foam before this was horrendous, happened in  first five  minutes.   A bit  like mixing a foam  shampoo  in a bucket  with  food mixer.


Customer thought it was a new carpet.  But property  was a rental.  Perhaps Bex Bissell had been  in  before me.

Just wondering if I should replace motor now or wait.

Title: Re: Foam in Motor
Post by: homenclean on May 29, 2006, 08:04:44 pm
Why not buy a new motor in antcipation of the old one blowing, carry it with you and if it goes swap it over, as for the foam we always use anti foam in our machine tanks as you can just about guarantee, on every carpet the customer has tried to remove stains using 1001, When Will They Learn!

John
Title: Re: Foam in Motor
Post by: Ian Gourlay on May 29, 2006, 09:06:48 pm
I  have spare motor.

Also spare machine,so will wait and see what happens
Title: Re: Foam in Motor
Post by: Ian Rochester on May 29, 2006, 10:55:52 pm
Had similar happen to me last year, it was down to the customer spraying two whole cans of vanish mousse into an area of carpet less that a m2!
Title: Re: Foam in Motor
Post by: Eric Lloyd on May 30, 2006, 11:33:04 pm
Had this with my Prochem truck mount - seized solid with black goo on the vac rotors. Had to take vac pump out - apalling job, it weighs 120 lb! Cleaned out with graffiti rinse (acidic - pH1) flushed with hosepipe, good as new. Teach me to be a bit more generous with defoamer! Replacement pump quoted as £1215, so thought I'd better fix it myself...
Title: Re: Foam in Motor
Post by: Ian Gourlay on May 31, 2006, 12:37:05 am
And I thought parts on a portable were expensive  ;D ;D